Fears unleash bill targeting the pit bull

[flvegan]

The woman in Fort Lauderdale who started it all is a 57-year-old maintenance worker who likes to take walks. For the past three years, Edna Elijah has carried a baseball bat when she walks because her neighbors have been attacked by dogs. Once, she had a run-in with a dog "that looked like a pit bull."

She wasn't injured, but her words resonated with the right people. So recently, legislators in Tallahassee have been considering a bill to regulate dogs by breed. Owners of gentle pit bulls are racing to Tallahassee in protest, and videos of children with torn faces are finding their way to lawmakers' in-boxes.

Amid all the weighty matters this year, the long-shot dog bill has caused quite a stir. Close to home, the debate flared last month when a dog reported to be a pit bull attacked its owner, Erika Sullivan, and her landlord, causing serious injuries. At more than 100 pounds, the dog was not an American Pit Bull Terrier, but a mixed breed pit bull, according to Hernando County animal control. It had not been neutered or licensed, and one of its owners told police it had been aggressive lately.

http://www.tampabay.com/features/humaninterest/article1086363.ece

Finally some responsible media on the maligned pit bull.

[dana_b]

1. yay!!

what do they want tod o - kill all the pit, pit mixes in the state?

"To regulate the kind of dogs that have killed people in Florida, lawmakers would have to crack down on not just pit bulls but boxers, presa canarios, American bulldogs, golden retrievers, Labradors, Australian shepherds, Weimaraners, Rottweilers and maybe even those chubby, comical Welsh corgis. "

Can you imagine if there was a crack down on the much beloved golden retriever?? "Oh no! Not my dog! S/he is just a harmless golden - not a nasty pit bull!" Oh, and a corgi killed someone?? Wow!

[JonLP24]

2. It reminds me of a thread

where a police tazered a loose dog that they thought was a "pit bull". Turns out it was a Boxer and almost everyone was like, 'I own one, they are really sweet dogs, blah, blah.' 'Cops acted wrong', etc. I posted down thread on there and said something like, "I have a feeling if it turned out to be a "pit bull" this thread would turn out a lot different."

[dana_b]

3. you got that right!

I saw that you exited that thread and I am with you. There seems to be about 1-2 of them a week and the irrationality of some of the responses is remarkable.

Regarding pit bull attacks, I blame the lack of nurturing - not nature.

[WillParkinson]

4. Our neighbor has 2 pit bulls

And he admits that they'd probably bite people.

Do I blame the dog or do I blame the neighbor?

Guess.